New ambulance hub will be built despite objection

The new ambulance hub will be able to support 97 staff members

A new 24/7 ambulance hub and multi-storey car park will be built despite an objection from the highways department.

The East of England Ambulance Trust asked for permission to build on a plot of land, north of The Havens, in Ipswich.

Suffolk County Council's highways department submitted a formal objection, however, Ipswich Borough Council's planning committee approved the plans.

Senior paramedic Alan Adams said the hub was essential as some of the trust’s buildings were old and not up to standard and it would allow it to deliver services across a wider region.

'Beggars belief'

The highways department opposed the plans and said there was a lack of information about the number of staff, cycle access, lack of electric vehicle charging provision, and excessive access points.

It later told BBC News, objections were made on "technical points" and it submitted a "holding objection to the plans because further information was needed".

The objection was criticised by a councillor on the planning committee who accused the county council of attempting to block to the hub, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"People in Ipswich would be astonished the county is trying to block the delivery of a new ambulance hub — it beggars belief," he said.

"There’s a lot of people in Ipswich who have suffered harm because the ambulance service hasn’t got to them in time."

The county council's highways department objected to the plans

The new hub would support 97 members of staff.

Although it would also include space for storing medical supplies, it would not be a base for emergency responders.

Instead, paramedics would park on-site at the start of their shift and collect their emergency or non-emergency ambulance before leaving the site for a more local stationing point.

The approved three-storey car park would have 70 spaces for staff and spots for 42 ambulances, five response cars, eight visitor spaces, and two disabled bays. A cycle shelter with 10 spaces would also be built.